The Effect of Nutritional Interventions on Exercise-induced Muscle Damage

Muscle Damage

Eccentric exercise, Dietary supplement, Muscle damage

The study is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that will include the participation of 69 women, aged 18-40 years. The aim of the study is to test nutritional strategies that help to minimize the effects of muscle damage induced by exercise. The procedures will be performed at the Federal University of Health of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA).

The exercise-induced muscle damage is associated with eccentric activities affecting muscle structural unit through micro-injury that can promote a local inflammatory response, muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness. These events can cause an impact on athletic performance and lower adherence to the training programs. To optimize muscle recovery after the damage caused by exercise is essential to ensure adequate caloric intake , with required amounts of macronutrients and micronutrients. Recent studies have been showed that the protein intake before sleeping is a effective strategy to inhibit muscle protein degradation, stimulate muscle protein synthesis and facilitate adaptive response of skeletal muscle to physical exercise. Furthermore, evidences on the use of anti-inflammatory nutrients have suggested that diets rich in omega 3 can reduce inflammation through inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators. Therefore, the intake of this nutrient combined with a protein meal before sleeps and the control of food intake can improve adherence to sports training. The study will consist of three groups where everyone will receive an individualized diet. A randomization procedure will determine the type of intervention. The distribution of the groups will be as follows: group 1 (control) - volunteers follow individualized diet and olive oil capsules and maltodextrin; group 2 - intervention with omega 3 more individualized diet ; group 3 - omega 3 and whey protein isolate intervention more individualized diet. The order of procedures to be performed will be: (1) Nutritional and Anthropometric assessment; (2) Individual orientation of diet and distribution of supplements; (3) Baseline assessment (peak torque, muscle pain levels and vastus lateralis and rectus femoris echo intensity; (4) Muscle damage induction by eccentric exercise protocol; (5) Reviews after 24h, 48h, 72h, which will follow the routine and the methods applied at baseline.

Brazil